The city of Clintonville will hold a public hearing on special assessments for sanitary sewer laterals on Main Street, Tuesday, March 24.
The public hearing will focus on sewer laterals on Main Street from 10th Street to 13th Street. Levying special assessments against properties within those boundaries will be discussed.
The purpose of the special assessments is to pay for public installation of the sanitary sewer improvement. Plan specifications are on file in the City Clerk-Treasurer’s office at city hall and can be inspected during regular business hours.
At the city council meeting Monday, March 16, Interim City Administrator Chuck Kell said city staff informed him that in the past when new city water and sewer lines were installed, the mains were paid for by the utility, as well as the water line from the main to the property. The sanitary sewer lateral from the main to the property line was assessed to the property owner.
“The reason for that, under statute, the property owner owns that sanitary lateral from the main all the way to their home,” Kell said.
To determine the cost for each property owner, Kell said he took the total cost of the project, estimated at $26,435, and divided it by the total number of laterals being replaced.
The proposed sanitary assessment will be $1,468 for each lateral.
Kell said the amount of frontage area, or the number of businesses on a property didn’t factor into determining that figure.
He said the assessment is strictly on the lateral serving the property.
Earlier in the meeting Alderwoman Mary-Beth Kuester informed the council about a concern a resident had regarding the estimated cost to have the laterals installed. Kuester said this resident said he was being charged the same as a property that had multiple businesses on it.
Kell said property owners will pay for each lateral on their property.
“I felt the fairest thing to do was to charge everybody the same amount to recoup the cost the community will be investing in this,” Kell said.
Kell added that if the cost is more than $500, property owners will have five years to pay for it. The interest rate will be one percent over the prime rate.